Newbee Questions ...

[Beacher]

We just purchased a 2005 Montana 2955RL ... complete newbee to all this ... the unit is a full time sitter (used for visitors, office, etc.) .... it will never go anywhere ... located Pacific Northwest, near Vancouver Canada. We have it parked and levelled. We are in the process of deep cleaning it. It seems to be in pretty decent shape. CSA approved.

Couple starter questions ...

1) What would the roof material be for this vintage? I see what looks to me like some mould dots on the top. Speckles so to speak. Would like to deal with that. Can send pix if requested to clarify.

2) I've read that the "blue" Dawn dish soap is the best for cleaning?

3) Also Dicor sealant for repair? Not sure if that is a brand name or sealant type?

4) Due to the vintage, would it be recommended to give the roof a coat of paint for the specific roof material we have. We don't think it is leaking but it is a 16 year old roof. I'd like to make sure that everything roof related is attended to before the fall.

5) It has a bit of green moss on the sides ... best way to clean that (and dirt etc,) off?

6) Is power washing a good or bad idea?

7) Most of the decals are peeling off ... should I remove them or just leave it? It is a bit unsightly but I could live with it. Some reading says "Goof Off" will remove the decal glue?

8) The Dometic RM2862RB fridge is not working. The owner thinks it is the cooling system. I believe he said he could smell ammonia before it stopped working. It was recommended that rather than fix it (expensive) to alternatively replace it with a residential fridge. Your thoughts on this? Would something like Home Depot have a fridge to fit?

9) At this juncture we are only running on 15A house. Would this run the AC or not? I guess I could just try it and see if it trips the breaker (RV or House) but thought I should ask here first. We are going to get a 30A outdoor socket installed. Can't do 50A yet.

As I run accross other things I will have more questions, but this is a good starter.

Thank you in advance for the replies.

Don on Hornby Island

[Mikendebbie]

1. 2005 brochure says the roof is EPDM rubber roof membrane.
2. Just read an article on Dawn this morning from one of the email newsletters I get...they say simple green might be a better choice.
3. Dicor would be the correct material for roof seams
4. I have coated a roof or two on my past RVs...it does make them nice and pretty, but I have not seen a compelling argument FOR or against a roof coating. It can't hurt. I work in commercial construction and I do not see a long line of building owners lining up to get their 20 yr old EPDM roof coated.
5 and 6. Same email article this morning talked about power washing roof and RV siding, and I agree - maybe ok with a low power washer. I would be concerned about cutting thru the siding...same for the roof membrane. I have done it in the past on some of my past RVs, probably will not use a power washer on the Monte in the future. I had an electric 1700 psi pressure washer that worked fine to clean the siding and the roof. Maybe someone else will have better info on green moss removal.
7. Decal removal is a big job - you should do a search on the forum for war stories and methods.
8. For the fridge - since you will not be traveling - I would push the easy button and find one at Home Depot that will fit in the opening and run on electric.
9. The AC will not run on 15A house power. You could buy a soft start device to put on it that reduces the start-up amp for an AC and will allow it to run on 15A. They cost $250-$300 and you can install it yourself. Or wait for your 30 amp outlet install.

[Beacher]

MikenDebbie ... thanks for your quick reply ...

As per #2 ... I just happen to have some "Simple Green" on hand so will give it a try and report back. Would that also work on a EPDM roof without damage?

The decals sound like a massive PITA job that I can defer (maybe forever ... lol).

I am going to start measuring for a residential fridge.

Bummer about the AC but ... will get moving on that 30A electrical asap.

[Beacher]

Simple Green .... pretty darn good ... using a "grout sponge" ... rough side gives nice (but gentle) power to the strokes to remove dirt ... rinse off. Eezy Peezy ... thanks for that suggestion.

[Mikendebbie]

I might add that with simple green - or even dawn - you will never be able to get rid of the little black spots on the membrane. Don't expect it to look like the hood of a new white car. Just do what you can to get stuff off the roof, rinse it and call it good. Roof coatings is probably worth doing more searches and reading to decide if it is worth the expense and time. I used a roof coating on my Alpenlite 5th wheel 15 yrs ago - because my neighbor sold his RV and gave me all of the cans of roof coating he had bought to put on his RV! Free was good.

By the way - couple of weeks ago I washed my roof with a brush and water (no soap) just because I was too lazy to haul soap up there. I was surprised at how much dirt came off. I decided not to use dawn because the roof rinse is going to run down the side of the RV, and I did not want it removing the last micron of wax that was left on the sides from the last time I waxed it. I read it on the internet so it has to be true.

[Beacher]

Talking about windows now ... as I was cleaning the exterior back wall I noticed that ... it looked like the original windows were installed with a rubber gasket compressed in somehow with window against siding? (might be wrong but that's what it looks like to me)? Then, over the years when the gasket edges start to deteriorate, you either have to take them out and put new gaskets in etc., or the short route you start caulking around the window perimeter. Am I on the right track here??

I can tell today that the previous owner had done some caulking on the upper edges of the back windows and it has dried up and splitting pieces off with minimal hose rinse pressure. I didn't see any water inside the RV but it could be creeping in to the outer layer of the siding that I can't see. My instinct is telling me I should re-caulk these babies before winter???

[twindman]

I believe the windows are installed with some sort of black calk strips or such and then the windows are tightened on, squeezing out the 'gunk'. As the rig ages, the black stuff sort of oozes out around the edges. I have a 2013 and they look pretty crappy. I may try to cut it off a litle.

[Carl n Susan]

There is a name for the window putty which I can not remember. But as twidman wrote, it oozes out over time. I have trimmed mine several times. I have also sealed the top edges with black Proflex just for insurance.

[h2ojocky]

I also have a 2005 2955 RL. The roof is EDPM and can be cleaned with blue dawn. I use an electric pressure washer with a wide spray for cleaning. Many people coat them but I have not because like said earlier, commercial rubber roofs never get any maintenance. My roof is not pretty but it does not leak. You need to check the seams and clean and seal with self leveling lap sealant, dicor makes some. The windows are sealed with butyl tape. Remove the window, scrape off old tape and install new tape. Check out You Tube for videos. The decals are very labor intensive, I did it and the front needs to be done again after 5 years. Some homes have 20 amp outlets so if available use it. The soft start for A/C works great. My Honda 2000 watt will run the A/C if I shut off all other electrical draws.

[Beacher]

Thanks everyone for the reponses. Great information especiily for a newbee. I might take a shot at removing the windows to re-seal.

[RipNC]

If you tackle removing decals search "plastic razor blades" on Amazon. I've used these to remove boat name decals and the FX4 decals on our trucks and they won't "dig in" on a corner and scratch like metal will.

[Beacher]

Rip & Beth .... thanks for the tip, I ordered some on Amazon today to try out. Decals will be down the road for me. More important things to do first.

[h2ojocky]

I didn’t think the plastic razor blades worked that good. I used a heat gun and the extra thick leather glove and just tried to roll the old decal off.

[Loneoak]

If you can get someone to come out with a Seal Tech unit, they can check for any compromises to the caulking. They can attend to those before they result in expensive water intrusion. We takes our trailer in annually for the test. It an investment.

[Dave W]

Roof coating can be a research project I've found as ours is not getting any nicer. There are a couple types. The first and pretty costly at couple thousand and up dollar is to hire a company like Flex Armor that put a layer of their miracle product at that supposedly lasts 'forever'. Then for the DIYer is a Dicor, Heng's or Hemry's paint on material which while time consuming is only a couple hundred bucks for all materials. For ours, the DIY way is well within my range for an RV that is not appreciating in value nor does it go far any longer.

That fridge - Dometic has a trouble shooting procedure on line. I would go through that first before yanking it out and installing a residntial fridge. It may be a simple fix.

Decals - I would take them on as a long term project. Just be aware that it's a time consuming job and there will be ghosting where they were but probably better then peeling decals.

[twindman]

I use blue dawn to clean the roof. Be careful to not use any other types of dawn, as some of them are scented and attract birds and other things.

[oddjobal]

I have a 2955RK (rear kitchen). If you are using it as a "spare room" a plug in frig will be your best option. Living where you live, weather will be your biggest factor. Water can destroy an RV very fast. Seal everything very well, especially the roof. Watch out for ants and rodents. I would put some sort of jack stands under the axles to keep the tires off the ground. There are so many good answers on here. You found the right place to ask. Good luck and have fun. P.S. You only need a 30A outlet for this unit with 1 AC

[whutfles]

I have a 2010 Montana Mountaineer with an EDPM roof which also has the black spots. We winter in Texas and I wash it before returning home in April every year. I use a brush with a long handle, a bucket of water with blue dawn. I scrub multi-directional over and over. After rinsing with a hose and finishing the entire roof, I repeat the process with rubber roof cleaner which I get in gallon jugs from the RV Dealer. Won't need more than a gallon. Spray it on with a quart sprayer and scrub it in same as with the blue dawn then rinse. I do all this starting at the front in 6 foof sections. The blue dawn helps, but the rubbber roof cleaner really makes it look good. Doesn't eliminate the spots but sure makes it look clean. Both the dawn and the rubber roof cleaner will streak your sides as it runs down the side. So as you rinse, continually follow it down the sides and rinse them too. You're not supposed to be doing this in the heat of the day. A clowdy day is better.

I wash the sides after done with the roof. I just use automotive wash and wax from Walmart. Pour some in a bucket of water. Wet the side with a hose then dip a long handled brush into the bucket and start at the top scrubbing a 4-6 foot wide section down to the bottom, rinse and continue on. I use a 12 foot telescoping handle on my brush.

Under no circumstances would I be using a power washer on any part of my RV. It is not recommended for the roof and sure does a number on light and vent covers. As-well-as some of those parts are aged and can't take that kind of abuse.

We removed our Montana sign off the front of ours after it pealed badly. I used a hair dryer on high but a heat gun would probably been better. After heating, just pealed it backed with my fingers. Damn sore fingers when I was done. There will be a whiter imprint where the decal was. I buffed my imprint with a liquid sanding grit (lite buff). Then waxed and buffed several times.

My windows have the rubber gasket around them. There are weep holes in the bottom about an eight of an inch square or so to allow water to drain out. Don't caulk these holes or you'll have more problems.

[Beacher]

Any suggestions on a strategy for rats, mice, and ants? Trailer is parked permanently. Don't have any evidence of them yet but ... you never know, they like a nice house too !!!

[RMcNeal]

As far as mice and rats, my best advice is to block any access as much as possible. I haven't had any issues with them yet.
Ants and other bugs, I use a product called Bifen IT. It is a termiticide but also a very powerful and extremely safe pest control product. You can find it on www.DoYourOwnPestControl.com. Very safe and effective. I keep a 1 gallon pump sprayer in my rig and mix 1-2 oz. per gallon of water. Spray inside and outside. If we have a site with lots of ants, I have sprayed around tires and landing gear to prevent them crawling up into the rig. Spray perimeter inside, doorways and inside cabinets and anywhere where there are holes between the underbelly and the living space.